New York 3, Boston 2: When Winning Means Little

New York Islander Fan Central | 3/03/2012 06:17:00 PM |
New York 3, Boston 2.

This should be the usual time to write any win is a good one, credit Nabokov's strong play which deserves praise, and write about the positives.

Having written this, I did not see a lot of positives.

Exclude the newest players like Cizikas, Ullstrom, from any of this.

I'm hardly thrilled with stealing points, watching the Isles largely out-hit (stats aside) or out-skated, where the other team puts on the pressure, forces them to play the other clubs game, then hang on.

Boston designed a set-play on their second goal, it looked too easy as MacDonald could not get back.

This is not building anything, it's not progress.

It's not the team a year ago that was very hard to play against in the second half, which forced the other team to skate, producing goals.

The most notable thing I saw against Boston was Jack Capuano grab for the clip-board twice during the time-outs, because usually the assistant coaches do that.

Still Boston scrambling, hardly playing great, almost tied it except for Nabokov robbing Lucic. Is that supposed to be a positive?  

Eighty Two Games:
x games a team will play well.
x games a team will play poorly.
x games will be decided by luck/breaks/officiating.
x games will be won/lost by goaltending.
x games the fatigue factor is justified. 

Then there are the many games that make or break a team/season, who wants it more?

I see a New York Islander team too small, slow, taking big hits, where the other club turns up the pressure (Philadelphia/Washington/Ottawa) today against Boston, and this club simply fades.

You see so many plays during a game where the Isles are outnumbered by the other team on the boards or in transition. 

The Isles went into this trip against two tired teams all set up to win, they opened the scoring in three of those games, lost two in regulation, one in overtime before going into Boston because those clubs simply wanted it more and had many more players capable of raising their play with the game on the line.  

Tavares made a brilliant play to tip in a shot that won the game on what was likely a huge break by not calling icing.

MacDonald still has his assist. 

Nielsen had an excellent effort outnumbered before finding Bailey who finished. 

New York 3, Boston 2.

Does winning this way build anything moving forward?